Adjustable side and end board construction for vehicle-bodies.



' c. w. WILSON, ADJUSTABLE SIDE AND END BOARD CONSTRUCTION FDR VEHICLE BODIES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1916. 33,154. Patented July 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. W. WILSON.

ADJUSTABLE SIDE AND END BOARD CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICLE BODIES.

Y APPLICATION FILED JULY 12. 1911s.

1 -33 15, Patented July 10,1917.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 2. L 17:94. 14 27 g 1445K? I w Z6 q- Z? 7 ,3g a 47 47 i? 7 1% 50 Z 24 Tj' 4 5 Q5, 75 /4- 75 Z7 l ill Z? W 1 2% Z 23 \ga. 23 Z? M j 4? 4 6 20 r 4/ o 20 6 a? v 52 /r v f 3f Z, F12 12 6 *21 Zl i 1 3 24 X 6 j 6.936 7 5. glvwemtoz 2g j\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\l T Z82 1 55 a? 35a QNfiflmsem 4} a ike bums CLAUDE WILSON, OF COLOME, SOUTH DAKOTA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Application filed July 12, 1916. 7 Serial No. 108,883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE W. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Colome, in the county of Tripp, State of South Dakota, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Side and End Board Construction for Vehicle-Bodies; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

The present invention relates to an ad justable side and end board construction for wagon bodies, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby the sides can be readily adjusted to ob tain either a flared wagon body, Or a straight side wagon body, as may be desired.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which admits of the end board members being adjusted to fit closely against each other and engage the swinging side board members at dilferent angles, which can be safely employed for carrying heavy loads, and which can be adjusted without difliculty.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wagon box constructed in accordance with the invention, the side board extensions being swung upwardly into a vertical position.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation similar to Fig. 2, with the side board extensions swung outwardly.

Fig. 4: is a top plan view of the wagon box with the side board extensions swung outwardly.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view t ken o the l ne 5-5 of Fig- 49 Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view through, one of the bolt retaining devices on the end boards.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional View on the line 9-9 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view through the upper corner of the side and end boards, showing one of the bolts for holding the end board rigid with the side board. 7

Fig. 11 is a detail view of a modified form of brace member, portions being broken away and shown in section.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the

numerals 1 designatethe rigidly mounted side boards of the wagon box, 2 the-bottom of the Wagon box, and 3 the main end board. This end board member 3 is shown as formed in two sections 3 and 3 the section 3 being provided with an extension 4 which is slotted to receive a keeper 5 projecting from the section 3, and provided with a swinging hook member 6 arranged for engagement with the said keeper to lock the sections of the end board member 3 rigidly in alinement with each other. A spring 6*? normally holds the hook in operative position. It will be obvious, however, that by swinging the hook member 6 out of engagement with the keeper 5, the two sections of the end board can be swung into an open position without interfering with the auxiliary end board members above the same. The ends of the rigid wagon sides 1 are provided with channel shaped cleats 7 (see Fig. 9) for engagement with the T-shaped heads 7 hinged at 7 to the extremities of the end board section 3. The lower ends of the cleats 7 are formed with threaded extensions which pass through the bottom 2 and are capped by the nuts 60. In a similar manner strips 61 which are applied to the inner faces of the sides 1 are formed with threaded extensions which pass through the bottom 2 and are apped by the nuts 62,

Upper and lower articulated side board extensions .:8 and 9 respectively are applied to the upper edges of the rigid side boards 1. The meeting edges of the side boards 1 and extensions 8 and 9 are provided with correspondinghinge sleeves or knuckles 10 through which the pivot rods 11 are removably threaded. The upper side extensions 8 are thus hingedly connected to the lower side extensions 9, and the lower side extensions 9 are hingedly connected to the rigid side boards 1, although the sideboard extensions can be detached by withdrawing the pivot rods 11. I

A series of vertically disposed flanged strips12 is applied to each of the rigid side boards 1, corresponding strips 13 being secured to the exterior of the lower side board extensions 9, and corresponding strips 1 1 being secured to the interior of the upper side board extensions 8. The strips 13 of the lower side board extensions 9 are provided with outstanding pivot ears 13 which are pivotally connected at 15 to the bifurcated upper ends of brace members 16. The lower ends of the brace members 16 are bifurcated and straddle the outstanding flanges 12" of the strips 12, said flanges being each provided with a series of openings 17, and a removable locking pin 18 being provided for engagement with any selected one of the openings 17 to hold the corresponding brace member 16 rigidly in anadjusted position. The lower side board extension 9 can thusbe locked in either a vertical position or an outwardly flared position.

The inner faces of the lower side board extensions 9 are provided with vertically disposed flanged strips 19, corresponding strips 20 being applied to the inner faces of the upper sideboard extensions 8, and corresponding strips 21 to the inner faces of the rigid side boards 1. The strips 20 are provided with outstanding ears 22 which are pivotally connected at 23 to the bifurcated upper ends of brace members 24. The

lower ends of the brace members 24 are bifurcated and adjustably received upon the outstanding flanges 19 of the strips 19. Removable locking bolts 25 are provided for securing the lower ends of the brace members 24 in different adjusted positions upon the flanges 19* said locking bolts being tremities of the chains being shown a em gaged by I-bolts 2.7, while a hook 26 detachably connects the inner ends.

The ends of the side board extensions 8 and 9 are provided upon the inner faces thereof with channel shaped cleats 28, the side flanges of the cleats converging or overhanging so as to provide contracted mouths. Upper and lower auxiliary end board members 29 and 30, respectively, are arranged at opposite ends of the wagon box between the ends of the corresponding side board extensions. These auxiliary end board members are shown for convenience as having a hollow formation, being preferably formed of sheet metal. The lower auxiliary end board 30 is provided with extension plates 31, said plates being substantially triangular in shape, and being adapted to be completely telescoped within the hollow end board member 30, or to be swung outwardly therefrom to fill in the triangular spaces between the ends of the .mei'nber 30 and the lower side board extensions 9, when the latter are swung outwardly at an angle to the rigid side boards 1. The outer edge of each extension plate 31 is formed with a T-shapcd flanged head 31 which interlocks with the corresponding channel shaped cleat 28, thereby eliminating any possibility of the side board members springing or bulging away from the end board members. The lower corners of the triangular extension plates "31 may be pivotally connected at 32 to the member 30 (see Fig. 3), while the upper edges thereof are provided with openings 33, either one of which can be engaged by a locking bolt 34 passing through the member 30, thereby enabling the extension plates to be rigidly locked in either an extended or a collapsed position.

In a somewhat similar manner the upper auxiliary end board members 29 are provided with extension plates 35, the outer edges of the plates being provided with flanged T-shaped heads 35 which interlock with the channel shaped cleats 28 of the upper side board extensions 3, as in the previous instance. The extension plates 35 are bodily slidable in and out, the upper edges thereof being square, while the lower edges 35 thereof are inclined in such a manner as to fit squarely against the inclined upper edges of the triangular extensions 31 of the lower end board member 30 when the two sets of extension plates are both extended. Removable locking bolts 36 are provided for engagement with proper openings 37 in the extension plates 35, and openings 33 in the end board member 29 (see Fig. 5). for locking the extension plates 35 in either a collapsed or an extended position.

The locking bolts or pins 34. and 36 may be normally held against displacement in some suitable manner as by means of small slides 39 which are arranged over the openings in the end board members 29 and 30, said slides being mounted within flanged guides 40, and being normally held in a closed position by means of the spring detents 41. When it is desired to remove the locking pins or bolts 34 and 36, the respec tive slides 39 are moved away from the openings in the end board members, whereupon the locking pins can be withdrawn and the extension plates of the end board members adjusted as desired. The T-shaped flanged heads of the extension plates 31 and 35, respectively, may be engaged by clamping bolts 42 which engage the corresponding side board extensions and pass through the channel shaped cleats 28, said bolts 42 serving to lock the extension plates to the side board members so that there will be no danger of the end board members being arred or jolted out of position.

A modified form of brace member is shown by Fig. 11, said brace member being formed in two telescoping sections 43 and 44, the inner section 44 being provided with a series of depressions 44 any selected one of which is adapted to be engaged by a set screw 45 threaded in the outer section 43, thereby enabling the effective length of the brace member to be varied as found neces sary. The extremities of each extensible brace member are shown as terminating in pivot ears 46 which admit of the brace member being easily connected to the flanges or lugs projecting from the side board mem- "bers. These extensible brace members are adapted to be substituted for the brace members 16, the desired adjustment of the side board sections being obtained by varying the length of the brace members, instead of by shifting the pivotal connections between the lower ends of the brace members and the flanged strips 12, as in the previous instance.

Under some conditions it may be found desirable to provide chain braces 47 between the side boards and the end boards. These chains 47 extend diagonally across the corners of the wagon box, one end of each chain being secured to the adjacent reinforcing strip 19 of a lower side board extension 9, while the opposite end of each chain is secured to a bolt 48 extending through the corresponding lower auxiliary end board member 30. This bolt 48 engages a plate 49 which extends upwardly at the rear of the upper auxiliary end board member 29, thereby eliminating any posibility of the latter being bulged or flexed outwardly away from the lower end board member 30 when the wagon is loaded. It will be understood that the bolt 48 may extend through either of the auxiliary end board members, the plate 49 being arranged to engage the opposite auxiliary end board member so that both of the auxiliary end board members are reinforced by the chain braces 47. In order that the chains 47 may be detachably held in position the extremities thereof are provided with the hooks 47 for engagement with the rings 50.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A wagon box formed with rigid sides, side extensions hinged thereto, means for locking the side extensions in a vertical position or an angular position, end boards be tween the rigid sides, channel shaped cleats upon the side extensions, auxiliary end boards between the side extensions, triangular extension plates pivotally connected to the ends of the auxilary end boards so as to be swung inwardly when the side board extensions are in a vertical position, and swung outwardly when the side board extensions are in an angular position, flanged heads at the outer edges of the triangular extension plates for interlocking with the channel shaped cleats of the side extensions, and means for locking the end board extension plates in an adjusted position.

2. A wagon box formed with rigid sides, side extensions hinged thereto, means for locking the side extensions in a vertical position or an angular position, end boards be tween the rigid sides, channel shaped cleats applied to the side extensions, hollow auxiliary end boards between the side extensions, triangular extension plates pivotally mounted within the ends of the hollow auxiliary end boards so as to be swung within the end boards when the side extensions are in a vertical position, and swung outwardly when the side extensions are in an angular position, locking means for holding the extension plates in an adjusted position, and flanged heads at the edges of the extension plates for interlocking with the channel shaped cleats of the side extensions.

3. A wagon box formed with rigid sides, side extensions hinged thereto, means for locking the side extensions in a vertical position or an angular position, end boards between the rigid sides, auxiliary end boards between the side extensions, extension plates adjustably mounted upon the auxiliary end boards for filling in the spaces between the auxiliary end boards and the side extensions when the latter are in an angular position, the extension plates and auxiliary end boards being provided with openings, certain ones of which register when the extension plates are in an adjusted position, removable locking pins insertible through the registering openings to hold the extension plates in an adjusted position, and means for holding the locking pins in position.

4. A Wagon box formed with rigid Sides,

side extensions hinged thereto, means for locking the side extensions in a vertical position or an angular position, end boards between the rigid sides, auxiliary end board members between the side extensions, extension plates adjustably mounted upon the ends otthe auxiliary end board members for filling in the spaces between the said auxiliary end board members and the side extensions whenthe latter are in an angular position, the extension plates and end board members being provided with openings, certain ones of which register when the extension plates are inan adjusted position, removable locking pins insertible through the registering openings to hold the extension plates in an adjusted position, and slides mounted upon the auxiliary end board members and movable over the openings therein to hold the locking pins in position.

5. A wagon box formed with rigid sides, side extensions hinged thereto, means for locking the side extensions in a vertical position or an angular position, end boards between the rigid sides, auxiliary end boards between the side extensions, extension plates adjustably mounted upon the auxiliary end boards for filling in the spaces between the auxiliary end boards and the side extensions when the latter are in an angular position, means for locking the lar extension "plates adjustably mounted upon the ends of the lower auxiliary end boards for filling in the spaces between the said lower auxiliary end boards and the lower side extensions when the latter are swung outwardly into an angular position, extension plates adjustably mounted upon .the ends of the upper auxiliary end boards and provided with inclined lower edges adapted 'to fit against the upper edges of the triangular extension plates when theextension plates are in an extended position, and means for locking the extension plates in an adjusted position.

7. A wagon box formedwith rigid sides,

upper and lower side extensions hingedly connected to each other and to the rigid sides, means for locking the side extensions in different angular positions, end boards between the rigid sides, upper and lower auxiliary end boards between the upper and lower side extensions, respectively, triangular extension plates pivotally mounted upon the ends of the lower auxiliary end boards so as to be swung inwardly into inoperative position or outwardly into a projected position, extension plates slidably mounted upon the ends of the upper auxiliary end boards and provided with inclined lower edges adapted to fit against the upper edges of the triangular extension plates when all of the extension plates are in an extended posi* tion, means for locking the extension plates in an adjusted position, and means for securing an interlocking connection between the edges of the extension plates and the corresponding side extensions.

8. A wagon box formed with rigid sides, upper and lower side extensions hingedly connected to each other and to the rigid sides, means for locking the side extensions in different angular positions, end boards between the rigid sides, upper and lower hollow auxiliary end boards between the upper and lower side extensions, respectively, triangular extension plates pivotally mounted within the ends of the lower auxiliary end boards and adapted to be swung within the same or swung outwardly into a projected position, extension plates slidably mounted within the ends of the upper auxiliary end boards and provided with inclined lower edges adapted to fit against the upper edges of the triangular extension plates when all of the extension plates are in an extended position, means for locking the extension plates in an adjusted position, channel shaped cleats applied to the side extensions, and flanged heads at the edges of the extension plates for obtaining a sliding and interlocking engagement with the channel shaped cleats.

9. A wagon box formed with rigid sides, upper and lower side extensions hingedly connected to each other and to the rigid sides, means for locking the side extensions in different angular positions, end boards between the rigid sides, upper and lower auxiliary end boards between the upper and lower side extensions, respectively, extension plates adjustably mounted upon the auxiliary end boards for engaging the side extensions in diiierent angular positions, a plate carried by one auxiliary end board and extending along the outside of the other auxiliary end board, and diagonal corner braces between the sides and ends of the wagon box, said braces being connected to the said plates.

10. A wagon box formed with rigid sides, upper and lower side extensions hingedly connected to each other and to the rigid sides, means for locking the side extensions in diiierent angular positions, channel shaped cleats applied to the side extensions, end boards between the rigid sides, upper and lower auxiliary end boards between the upper and lower side vextensions, respectively, extension plates adjustably mounted upon the auxiliary end boards for engaging the side extensions in different angular positions, flanged heads at the outer edges of the extension plates for obtaining an interlocking connection with the before men- Gopiem of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, D. 0.

tioned channel shaped cleats, and removable locking bolts passing through the channel shaped cleats and flanged heads to hold the auxiliary end boards in position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLAUDE W. WILSON.

Witnesses:

VAL J. FETZNIIR, H. M. AMDEN. 

